And he understands that sometimes people do not need someone to make decisions for them, they simply need someone willing to explain the options, make the process less intimidating and give them the confidence to make those decisions for themselves. It is an understanding that has shaped Stephen’s work across financial services, community leadership and the different spaces where he continues to serve others.

Stephen did not begin his career in financial services and before mortgages and insurance became part of his professional life, he spent years working in production and process engineering. His move into finance was partly influenced by his own experience of buying a home, where he felt that the service he received could have been better and began wondering whether there was a different way to support people through one of the biggest financial decisions of their lives. The career change did not happen immediately and over several years, Stephen researched the industry, sought guidance from a mentor and gained the qualifications he needed to make the transition. What began with an experience that left him dissatisfied eventually became an opportunity to create the kind of service he wished he had received himself.

After completing his mortgage qualifications, Stephen eventually established Vivid Financial Solutions, a mortgage and insurance brokerage built around providing advice that takes people's individual circumstances into consideration. For Stephen, financial advice is not simply about how much someone can borrow or whether an application can be approved, it is also about whether that decision makes sense for the life they are trying to build. He encourages first time buyers to understand what they can realistically afford rather than automatically borrowing the maximum available to them, an approach that reflects his belief that good financial advice should leave people better informed rather than simply with another financial product.

There is something practical about the way Stephen approaches problems and perhaps some of that comes from his engineering background. Where other people might see a closed door, he often seems interested in understanding what can still be done. In March 2026, he met a young professional looking for an opportunity and although Vivid did not have a position available for him, Stephen and his team offered him work experience instead. Five months later, the young man secured a management role with a global company and credited some of the experience and project work he gained at Vivid with helping him prepare for the opportunity.

That willingness to share knowledge also extends beyond his business. Stephen has delivered financial education around mortgages, credit and personal finance and serves as an ambassador for Black Professionals United Kingdom. He understands that financial systems can feel complicated when people do not know how they work and that access to information can make the difference between someone remaining uncertain and being able to make an informed decision about their future. His own journey was helped by mentorship and he continues to create opportunities for other people to access knowledge, networks and experiences that can help them move forward.

Stephen's commitment to service can also be seen in his role as a trustee of Penicuik Citizens Advice Bureau, an organisation supporting people facing challenges around money, benefits, housing, employment and other areas of everyday life. It is a role that sits naturally alongside his professional work because both require an understanding that financial wellbeing is about much more than numbers. Behind a mortgage, a debt problem or a benefits question is a person trying to create some form of stability for themselves and their family.

Community has remained another important part of Stephen's journey and as President of the Nigerian Community in West Lothian, he is helping create spaces where people can connect while ensuring that younger generations are also being prepared for the future. The community's work has included opportunities for young people to learn about financial literacy, careers, artificial intelligence, technology and life skills, bringing together some of the same ideas that run through Stephen's professional life, giving people useful knowledge and creating opportunities for them to use it.

Building trust has not always been straightforward and Stephen has spoken about encountering scepticism from people who were uncertain about placing important financial decisions in the hands of a Black professional. Rather than allowing that experience to discourage him, he focused on building credibility through the quality of his work and the relationships created with clients. His ambition for Vivid is therefore bigger than completing individual mortgage transactions, he wants to build relationships that can continue across generations as families buy homes, protect what they have built and create greater financial security.

At the heart of Stephen Babatunde's journey is an understanding that access can take many forms. Sometimes it is explaining a mortgage to someone buying their first home, sometimes it is sharing financial knowledge with a community, sometimes it is offering work experience when there is no job available and sometimes it is simply being present in spaces where people need someone willing to serve.

Stephen Babatunde has built a career around helping people understand what is possible and giving them the information and opportunities to pursue it. Perhaps that is what makes his journey particularly interesting, he knows from his own experience that one difficult encounter can expose a gap, but instead of simply complaining about what is missing, he has chosen to spend his time helping to fill it.